


Perceived Deficiency

by VidenTarbent



Category: Zootopia (2016)
Genre: Drama, Eventual Romance, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Misunderstandings
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-25
Updated: 2020-01-25
Packaged: 2021-02-27 15:56:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,958
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22399729
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VidenTarbent/pseuds/VidenTarbent
Summary: Sometimes when one goes above and beyond what is expected they lose sight of what it needed.
Relationships: Judy Hopps & Nick Wilde, Judy Hopps/Nick Wilde
Comments: 4
Kudos: 28





	Perceived Deficiency

**Author's Note:**

> I am new to writing fanfictions as this is my first. I apologize for any formatting or tagging mistakes I may have made and will correct them as I learn what I did wrong. 
> 
> I do ask that you read to the end as the story is not as it first appears and to leave feedback as you see fit. 
> 
> I hope you enjoy the story.

Judy sighed as she rested her ahead on the tiles of the bathroom wall. She had hoped a shower after her shift would calm her nerves, so she had decided to hop into the locker room instead of waiting until she arrived at her dinky apartment. She would not usually do this as Nick was apt to walk her home more often then not, but she honestly needed to be away from him right now.

“It’s. Just. Not. Fair.” she said between headbutts into the cool tiles.  
“I work my fluffing tail off for years to even get here, invite him to be my partner, and I just can’t keep up,” she nearly sobbed with frustration.  
It has been about six months since Nick had completed the police academy, graduating Valedictorian to her immense pride, and she should be thrilled. She got to work with the best friend she ever had and they had completed more cases than any team of their short tenure had any business completing. However, in the last months or so, Nick seemed to be pulling away from her both professionally and socially. 

During his Academy days and the first few months of their partnership they spent almost all their time together. They spent their off time at both their apartments or prowling the city. He had been able to show her so much of Zootopia that she would never have found on her own and it delighted her. Like the year-round ice sculpting competitions on the east side of Tundratown or the dune surfing in Sahara Square. She cherished the long days off and late nights he would dedicate to her just to show her another amazing facet to this city she had made her home. These outing have gotten more and more rare as time has gone on, to the point that in the last month they had not spent a single moment outside of work together aside from Nick walking her home. At first she had tried asking him what he was doing in his free time now and had attempted many times to initiate spending some time together only for him to tell her he had to meet with someone or to say that he was busy. After several rejected requests she gave up, fearing that she was being far too needy, fearing Nick had become bored of her. She hasn’t even been to his apartment for what used to be there weekly movie nights in two months, he always saying that his place was in no shape for visitors, which was a load of crap she knew as every time she had been there she was amazed at how immaculate he kept his home. She was by no means a messy bunny, but Nick was almost neurotic with his cleanliness. He never came out and said it directly, but had hinted at loving coming home to a clean house after so many years of living on the streets. 

She missed him terribly, but that was not the only thing getting under her fur about him lately. He was just better than her at being a cop. During the Missing Mammals and Nighthowler cases she was able to out pace him physically. Make no mistake, she knew from the start that he was no weakling. She didn’t even want to think how heavy that Jumbo Pop was, but her police training made her a better fighter by a long shot, but he had gotten the same training and was able to out-spar her nearly every time in the practice bouts in the ring now. 

Not even in the actual police work she was able to keep pace. While out on patrol he seemed omniscient when it came to spotting petty crime. He could look over an entire herd of mammals and point out a pickpocket to her before they even got started.  
He seemed to make leads for cases appear from this air. Just this morning he had somehow came up with name and location of their carjacker; one George Wesker, a llama living in the Medowlands. She had spent so many nights pouring over the case files, so many days reviewing security camera footage and the moment she starts to lose hope he just shows up with a name and local. They were literally able to drive up to the house he was hidden away in this morning and arrest him before he even had time to wake up.  
He might as well be a GPS with how well he knew the entirety of Zootopia. She didn’t have enough fingers to count the amount of times they were able to cut a chase short because of one of Nick’s shortcuts.  
Perhaps worst of all was Cotton Picking silver tongue. The way he seemed to be able to talk to people to get what he needed out of them was nothing short of miraculous. He seemed to be able to placate upset witnesses like he was a close friend, talk suspects into giving incriminating themselves, and deal with the dreaded media like he had been doing it his entire life.  
“Well,” Judy glumly thought, “I guess he has.”

“So, let’s review,” she sighs to herself in consternation as the warm water of the shower patters into into her head. “I miss him and he seems to no longer want to spend time with me, I am jealous of him for being better at my dream job them me, and” she stuttered barely holding back tears, “I am pretty sure I love the stupid fox.”  
It’s true, she was hopelessly attracted to him. How could she not be? It had started while Nick was still in the Academy but had truly blossomed in the short time they still spent time together once he graduated. He was constantly with her, showing her a good time around the city, spending time with her at their apartments. Him being so amazing being a cop, being her dream job, gave her little pangs of desire and pride just as much as jealousy. His charming and goofy personality seemed to always make her feel warm when it was directed at her and a cold when he would flirt with some other female even if it was only to help with a case.  
But she knew it didn’t matter. He could never feel like that for her. He was just so far beyond her in everything it seemed. She had nearly started to cry when one of her ears snapped up and pointed towards the large mammal entrance door to the locker room. 

Heavy footfalls and a loud voice called out “Hopps, are you in here?” It was Francine her elephant coworker.  
Judy quickly wiped her eyes and steadied her voice,”Yeah, what’s up?  
“Nick asked me to check on you. Said you had been in here for nearly an hour,” Francine replied.  
“Sweet cheese and crackers,” panicked Judy, “I didn’t expect him to wait on me. Sorry I’ll be out in just a minute,” she cried.  
Judy rushed through the rest of her washing and ran to the atrium. There Nick was waiting for her. “Jeez, Carrots, did ya get lost in there” he asked sounding a little agitated.  
“No,” she replied huffing slightly from her rush, “just lost in thought enjoying the shower.”  
“Oh, thinking about anyone in particular? A devilishly hansom fox perhaps?” he asked with a lecherous smile.  
“In your dreams Slick. Let’s get out of here.” she responded with what she hoped was enough sass to cover the lie.  


The walk to her apartment was not a long one, she had picked the Grand Pangolia in part because it was so close to the precinct, and they arrived in about 10 minutes. Judy decided she had to try at least one more time to get Nick to spend some time with her.  
“So would you like to come up for a while? Maybe watch a few of the movies we are backed up on? I have really been wanting to see that new Jester movie that came out recently.”  
Nick hesitated for a moment, “Not tonight Fluff, I am really tired after catching that carjacker today. Some other time.”  
Not to give up so easily, she pressed on “How about I come to your house then? We can watch it there and if you fall asleep I can see myself out.”  
She watched as his eyes widen at the suggestion and he spat out a “NO!” so fast that it hurt.  
“I mean,” Nick replied, “I really couldn't host you properly right now. I am just going to go to bed and get some shut eye. I’ll see you are work tomorrow Hopps.”  
Hopps, not Carrots, not Fluff, not even Judy. He’s calling me Hopps now. Judy despaired.  
“Alright bye,” she nearly whispered and shut the door to her apartment. After she heard Nicks footfalls fade away she finally allowed herself to cry.

Once out of sight of Judy’s apartment building Nick finally let himself slouch down. Everywhere hurt, he was absolutely exhausted, and all he wanted to do was go home and get some rest.  
As he slowly made his way there he thought of all that he had been doing lately. His overly late nights and early mornings spent tracking down old acquaintances to ask for info on cases and what petty criminals were operating where. The amount of favors, nothing illegal her reminded himself, he has had to do to get that info was really starting to weight on him. Just last night he was up until three in the morning tracking down a some sort of hard to find trading card in the Nocturnal District just so he could give it to someone so they would tell him who the carjacker, a George Wesker it turned out, they had been after was and where to find them.

He had seen how disheartened Judy had been about not finding any leads on the case and wanted her to be impressed with him so felt it was worth it but running on 2 hours of sleep was hard for him to do, especially since he had been getting so little rest these last several months.  
As he finally trudged into his home he let out a weary sigh. The place was absolutely destroyed. Frozen dinner boxes were scattered around the kitchen, the garbage can was over flowing, and he didn’t think he had a clean non-work outfit or dish left in the house. He hated coming home to a filthy house but he just hadn't had the time or energy these last few months to keep it clean. Between his extra sleuthing at night and early morning for leads on cases, the frankly excessive workout schedule he made just to keep up with Judy, and the online lessons he was taking in persuasion and reading people to keep those skill sharp he had only five-ish hours a day to rest.

Forgoing a bath for tonight he took off his uniform and put it into the washer. His work clothes were the only ones he made sure to keep clean and looking sharp at all times. He had to keep up appearances, couldn’t let Judy know how hard he was pushing himself.  
As his head hit the pillow his last thoughts before sleep took him were of how all this would be worth it if he could just prove to Judy that he was good enough to be her partner. For her to be impressed with and proud of him. Maybe to one day see him as more than a friend. He just hoped it happened before he burned himself out.


End file.
